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Show J.Jewis and Clarke's E~:']Jedition Tuesday, July 17. We remained here this day, in order to make observations and correct the chronometer, which ran down on Sunday. 'I'he latitude we found to be 4.0° 27' 5"u· The observation of the time proved our chronometer too slow, by 6' 51''-h-· rrhc highlands bear from our· camp~ uot·tb 25° west, up the river. Captain IJcwis rode np the country, aml ... saw the Nishnahbatona, about ten m· twelve miles ft·om its mouth, at a place not more than thJ"ec hundred yards from the Missouri, and a little above our camp. It then passes near the foot of the Baldhills, and is at least six feet below the level of the Missouri. On its banks arc the oak, walnut, and mulberry. The common current of the Missouri, taken with the log, is 50 fathoms in 40", at some places, and even .20''. 'Vednesday, July 18. The morning was fair, and a gentle wind from southeast by south, carried us along between the prairie on the north, and Bald island to the south: oppoiite the middle of which, the Nishnahbatona approaches tbc nearest to the Missouri. The current 11Cro ran fifty fathoms in 41". At thirteen and a half miles, we reached an island on the north, ncar to which the banks m·crflow; while on the south, the hills project over· the river and fot·m high cliffs. At one point a.part of1hc cliff, ncal'ly three qua•·ters of a mile in length, anti about two hundt·cd feet in height, Ia as fallen into the river. It is composed cl1iefly of sandstone intermixed with an iron ore of bad quality; near the bottom is a soft slatestone with pebbles. We passed several bad sandbars in the course of the day, and made eighteen miles, and encamped on the south, opposite to the lower point of the Oven islands. The countt·y around is generally divi~ lcd into prairies, with little timber, except on low points, 1slands, and near creeks, and that consisting of cottonwood, mulberry, elm, and sycamore. The river falls fast. An Indian dog came to the bank; he appeared to have been lost and was nearly starved: we gave him some food, but he 'vould not follow us. • V"p the .JJliSSOUJ'i. 29 'rhursday, July 19. 'l,he Oven islamls a1>.e small, and two in number; one ncar the south shore, the other in the middle of' the river. Opposite to them is the prait·ie, called 'rerricn's Oven, from a trader of that name. At four and a half miles, we reacl1ed some high cliffs of a yellow earth, on the south, neat· which at·c two beautiful runs of' wa1er, rising in the adjacent prairies, and one of them with a deel'liek, ~bout two hund1·ed yaa·ds from its mouth. In this neighbourhood we observed some iron orcin the bank. At two and a half miles above the runs, a large portion of the hill, for nearly three quarters of a mile, has fallen into the river. We encamped on the western extremity of an island, in the middle of the river, having made ten and three quar· ter miles. 'l'hc river falls a little. The sandbars which we passed to-day, are more numerous, and the J•olliug sands more ft·cquent and dangerous, than any we have seen; these obstacles increasing as we approach the river Platte. 1'he Missouri here is widet• also than below, where the timber on the banks resists the cm·rent; whi!e here the prait~ies which approach, arc more easily washed and undermined. The hunters have brought for the last few days, no quadruI> cd, but deer: gi·eat quantities or young gees~ al'e seen tollay: one of them brought calamus, which he had gathered O}lposite our encampment, and a. large quantity of sweetflag. I?riday, July 20. 'rhere was a heavy dew last night, and tl1is morning was foggy and cool. 'Vc passed at about three miles distance, a small willow island to the north, and a creek on the south, about twenty-1ive ya.l'ds wide, ealJcd by the Fr·ench, L'eau qui Pleurc, ot• theW ceping 'Vater, and emptying itself just above a cliff' of' brown clay. Thence we made two and a half miles to another island; three miles furtheL~ to a tltird: six miles beyond which is a fourth island; at the bead of which we encampcll on the southern shore; in all eighteen miles. The party, who walked on the shore today, fouml the plains to the south, rich, but much parrhed |